


O-Chanoyu

by orphan_account



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Father's Day, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Japan, O-Chanoyu, Tea, Tea Ceremonies, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2012-11-18
Packaged: 2017-11-18 23:50:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/566693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Doctor, you have always taught me so much," George said slowly, carefully thinking through his words. "So in coming here, I wanted to give something back to you."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Not for the first time that day, the Doctor smiled.</i>
</p><p>In which all George wants to say is... "thank you".</p>
            </blockquote>





	O-Chanoyu

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a very dear friend of mine many years ago as a gift. It was at a time when we were starting to drift, but still I wanted him to know I cared about him, as a friend and as a father-figure. He still means the world to me, even if we don't see much of each other. Thank you, Doctor, for everything... and... I'm sorry.

The cherry blossoms, caught in the breeze, blew across the stone pathway leading up to the small pagoda-like structure. Plants were in full blossom, and somewhere, a river whispered the secrets of true happiness.

Inside the pagoda, three people kneeled at a table, wearing intricately designed silk kimonos. One of these people, a young woman, gently whisked the contents of a cup. One of her guests smiled patiently, enjoying the atmosphere, while the other looked around the room, marvelling silently at the wall hangings and hand-crafted decorations, the room spartan… and yet comfortable. 

The young woman smiled as she placed the cup on the floor and bowed to the first of her two guests. He reciprocated this action, murmuring words of gratitude. With great care, he turned to his neighbour and bowed again, before lifting the cup in salute to their host. 

Turning the bowl, he took a sip of the tea, closing his eyes to allow for fully concentrating on the taste. After offering his host a few words of praise, he wiped the cup and handed it to his neighbour with a bow. 

The younger man nervously returned the bow, looking at him for confirmation of having done the right thing. The older man nodded imperceptibly. The younger of the two proceeded to go through the motions, handling the cup carefully. Just as his friend had done, he closed his eyes while taking a sip of the tea. While slightly bitter, the tea was palatable, he found, but didn't dare to say that for fear of insulting their host. Instead, he smiled, complimenting the beauty of the cup, which was decorated with finely painted blue flowers. With a bow, he returned the cup to their host.

As the young lady proceeded to clean the utensils and tidy them away, the younger of the two broke the silence with a request to view the utensils. As he admired the tools used for the ceremony, their host explained that they were priceless and dated back several centuries, handed down from generation to generation, just as the teachings were. The younger man nodded his understanding.

***

Some time later, the two guests stood together on a wooden bridge, overlooking a river. The silence between them was… comfortable. The sunlight reflected on the river as it rippled past them, blossom petals caught in the running water. A soft breeze cooled their faces, heated by the sun overhead. 

"George," the older man said at last.

"Yes, Doctor?" George replied.

"Was there any particular reason why you wanted to come here?" The Doctor asked. "I know we had talked about going to Japan to see Kendo championships…"

"Because of that, Doctor, I saw your interest in Japan," George explained. "I thought that you might enjoy the tea ceremony."

"And I did, immensely," said the Doctor.

George nodded. The Doctor's curiosity showed through the patient gaze that he regarded him with. There had been another reason for their visit -- but trying to express it was another matter entirely. Nonetheless, he decided to give it a try.

"Doctor, you have always taught me so much," George said slowly, carefully thinking through his words. "So in coming here, I wanted to give something back to you."

Not for the first time that day, the Doctor smiled.

"Thank you, George, that means a lot to me," he said. 

George smiled back, before returning his attention to the water coursing past underneath their feet. It was a welcome break from the usual chaos of saving the galaxy, the natural and even sacrosanct surroundings instilling a deep sense of peace. Soon, they would return to time vortex, to their way of life -- every moment this peace was worth savouring.

Somewhere nearby, a bird landed on a sakura branch, scattering more petals into the river. Its song mingled with a shamisen in the distance…

**END**


End file.
